FOUR WAYS TO GET INSUREDCan't take the stress? Policymakers and health insurers alike would rather have everyone be insured — that, in fact, was a key principle of Massachusetts' health reform two years ago. And there are multiple options, each with its limitations.

For families, RIte Care, the state Medicaid program, is the most affordable option, but while children qualify, up to 250 percent of the federal poverty line (pregnant women up to 350 percent), for parents it's only up to 185 percent, and more limitations may be ahead.

In addition, the smaller RIte Share program helps lower-income workers who would otherwise qualify for RIte Care to pay for employer coverage. Learn more at dhs.ri.gov.

To buy your own insurance, the only option is Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, which covers about 14,000 individuals. To qualify, you can't be eligible for RIte Care or employer coverage. Rates can be much lower if you pass a health screening, and there are several plan choices; there are also subsidies available; go to bcbsri.com.

Business owners can also get coverage in the group market, even if it's just for one person; contact a benefits broker for price quotes.

The National Association for the Self-Employed offers cheaper, more limited plans, but be warned: This is not comprehensive coverage, and the insurer involved, HealthMarkets Inc., was fined $20 million earlier this year for deceptive practices and is now being subjected to tight scrutiny by state officials across the country. To learn more, go to nase.org.

Last, but not least, consider moving to Massachusetts. Along with mandating that all individuals get health coverage, the state has made big efforts to make insurance more affordable, expanding its Medicaid program, offering subsidies, and creating new plans targeted to young adults. The Commonwealth Connector makes it easy to sort through all the options; go to mahealthconnector.org.

Hot ticket Here's a hot flash for you: dying is easy (in the theatrical sense of bombing onstage); producing a successful show is hard.

I've got you under my skin The first rule for running a successful race for governor is never to say anything of substance about anything. Taking even the most innocuous of positions (Do you think Maine should have an official state skin disease?) will only cost a candidate votes.

The Ch-Ch-Ch-Change If men had menopause, going postal would be the rule rather than the exception, and we'd have to get our mail from carrier pigeons.

Pop goes the new year While some people might have spent New Year’s popping the cork on cold bottles of Cristal, I was sitting on Cowboy’s back, pinning him down with my knees as I popped pimples in the interest of “cleansing” out the bad, and being squeaky-clean for 2006.

Spare-Parts Department The family of a two-and-a-half-year-old Gloucester boy hopes that a new bill, filed in the State Senate by North Shore state senator Bruce Tarr on Monday, December 15, will prompt increased participation in organ donation, especially pediatric organs.

Art dodgers David S. Bernstein points out some key facts about who voted for Michael Flaherty in “Can Flaherty Woo Yoon?”, but he neglects to mention that, if Sam Yoon had won, he would need the base that voted for Flaherty, and he would also need to woo Flaherty’s support to win the mayor’s seat.

SAVOR THESE URBAN (AND SUBURBAN) OASES | September 27, 2011 It's not a huge state, but Rhode Island, you may be realizing, is abuzz with activity. There's music, poetry, theater, gallery shows, social gatherings, and all sorts of events at the colleges.

REWRITING THE HISTORY OF CAPITALISM | March 30, 2011 Brown University president Ruth Simmons has made it hard to ignore the school's ties to slavery — and by extension, the ties of well-known Providence families.

GREENING THE KNOWLEDGE DISTRICT | March 09, 2011 Christopher Bull is on the engineering faculty at Brown University, but what he teaches is a vision. “We all bear some responsibility in the direction the world goes,” he says, “and we need to accept that responsibility and act on it.”

CATAPULTER WANTS YOU TO TRAVEL SMARTER | February 23, 2011 You’re headed to New York and you need to keep the trip as cheap as possible, but also want WiFi, so you can work. Or perhaps you’re due in Boston’s Back Bay area, ASAP, and you need the ride to be quick and direct, even if it costs a little extra.

AT RISD: 2X4S, TAPE, AND 'CO-HABITATION' | February 09, 2011 In photographs, it looks like a giant spider web. But up close, it's shiny and transparent under the golden light. It's big enough for a person to climb into and crawl through — or you can poke your head in from a hole underneath or on the sides.